BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This morning, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley welcomed more than 80
health care, government and military leaders to the War Memorial
Building in Baltimore to discuss joint efforts to hire veterans,
disabled veterans and military spouses into the health care workforce.
The meeting was the second national summit for the Hero
Health Hireprogram, which launched in June 2011 in
Washington, D.C.

“Our ability in Maryland to grow forward is directly related to our
ability to create jobs and expand opportunity – including expanding
opportunity for those who have selflessly served our country,” said
Governor O’Malley. “Our veterans do not ask for our thanks or special
consideration. They just want the opportunity to compete and succeed in
our global economy, and it’s our duty to secure the care they need, the
benefits they’ve earned, and the job market they deserve when they come
home.”

Maryland continues to put veterans first. The O’Malley-Brown
Administration established the first Veterans Trust Fund to direct over
$50,000 in financial assistance to veterans and their families; expanded
the Veterans Service Program to reach out to record numbers of veterans
to ensure they have access to benefits like health care claims and the
G.I. Bill; committed more than $4.3 million over the past five years for
the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Scholarship Program and $6.9 million
for the Veterans Behavioral Health Initiative; and provided $463,000 in
no-interest small business loans for service disabled veteran business
owners with another $300,000 in loans planned for this year.

Since its founding in 2011, 41 health care organizations have joined Hero
Health Hire. These organizations collectively employ approximately
one million employees, and combined, offer more than 12,600 worksites in
all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Veterans can access job search resources available through the Hero
Health Hire partner companies, as well as other information and tips
at www.HeroHealthHire.com.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth and support for Hero Health Hire in
the past 16 months, and our network is getting stronger every day,” said
René Lerer, M.D., chairman and CEO of Magellan Health Services and
founder of the Hero Health Hire initiative. “The health care
industry continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors in our
economy. We are well equipped to recruit and support the brave men and
women who have fought for our country, and we will help them build a
bright future for themselves and their families. All of the Hero
Health Hire partners believe that is our responsibility.”

“Our nation’s veterans possess some of the most desirable skills
imaginable, with an emphasis on teamwork, critical thinking, problem
solving and project management,” said Major General Elder Granger, M.D.
(retired), honorary chairman of the Hero Health Hire advisory
board. “Our country needs more employers – in every industry – that know
what it takes to translate military skills into the workplace, and that
support those men and women who have given so selflessly as they embark
on the next chapters in their careers.”

“Our veterans have served our nation and now we need to make sure that
jobs are there for them when they return,” said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
of Maryland. “The health care industry is growing and it needs qualified
workers. The Hero Health Hire program is the right approach
because it is working with health care companies to recruit and train
veterans, wounded warriors and their spouses for jobs in the health care
industry.”

“When I left the Marine Corps in 1970, six out of 10 top officers of the
bank I joined had served in the military and they knew what veterans
could bring to the organization. Today’s service members and veterans
are not so fortunate,” said John R. Campbell, Deputy Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Warrior Care Policy. “Private sector efforts such as Hero
Health Hire to train and hire service members and veterans are
critical to their successful transition to productive civilian lives,
and set an important example for other companies to follow.”

According to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, veteran
unemployment declined in October of 2012. However, one in 10 veterans
who served post-9/11 is currently unemployed, compared to the 7.9
percent national average. Although it’s an improvement from the 12
percent unemployment for post-9/11 veterans the year prior, more must be
done to ensure veterans can transition into the civilian workforce after
military service.

“Obtaining a good job can make a huge difference in a person’s mental
health and well being, so everything must be done to offer employment
opportunities for those who have given so much for our country, ” said
Pamela S. Hyde, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration. “It is particularly important that we make a
special effort to recruit veterans in the behavioral health workforce
since they provide a special insight into the needs of military members,
veterans and their families.”

Friday’s summit focused on two key components: the challenges and
opportunities for veterans entering the civilian health care workforce,
and the resources available to employers to help them recruit and
support more veteran employees. The Hero Health Hire program
acknowledges the gap veterans face in translating their military
experience into transferrable skills for the civilian work environment,
and provides resources for both veterans and employers to help overcome
this obstacle. The program also encourages employers to create support
initiatives once veterans have been hired to help ease the transition,
such as establishing mentoring programs with other veteran employees and
training sessions for hiring managers and organization leaders.

“All it takes is for one company to give one veteran a chance,” said
Annert “Louie” Rivera, a wounded warrior hired by the Bobby Dodd
Institute, a Hero Health Hire partner. “You have to move past
your stereotypes and see the possibilities. Corporations just need to
change their mindset. The only way that a veteran is going to get better
is to get back to work and for companies to give them a chance to make a
difference.”